When this episode opened, my immediate thought was "God no, not another Clive Bixby episode." My Funky Valentine was good but they didn't have much success recycling the gag. My fears were quickly set aside when this episode turned out rather different. Instead of the stories following the three families mixed throughout the episode, Heart Broken is a three-act play starting with the Dunphys, then Jay's family, then the gays. Each of them work quite well, and are pretty funny.
We were mercifully spared from Clive Bixby when Claire suddenly and unexpectedly collapses. It turns out it wasn't a harmless fainting episode but a heart issue, and it's interesting to see Claire in a vulnerable position, with the Dunphy family acting more concerned than she is. Claire tries to rekindle the passion, actually getting sexier in this episode than she has been in quite some time. Keeping up the "Alex faints at blood" gag works as physical humour.
Next we have Jay and Gloria trying to have their first moments of intimacy since the birth of Joe. Like Phil and Claire, it all goes wrong. Hearing Gloria say she was going to start without Jay really turned me on. Finally we have Mitch and Cam go a little wild after a night of heavy drinking- what they do to the cat is hilarious, with a brilliant song immortalizing it. With this episode, the writers have finally justified Larry's existence. Sure, this episode may have recycled some old themes- is Manny being set up for ridicule, and should we protect him? Is Mitchell too uptight? But generally Heart Broken is a fine, interesting experience.
We were mercifully spared from Clive Bixby when Claire suddenly and unexpectedly collapses. It turns out it wasn't a harmless fainting episode but a heart issue, and it's interesting to see Claire in a vulnerable position, with the Dunphy family acting more concerned than she is. Claire tries to rekindle the passion, actually getting sexier in this episode than she has been in quite some time. Keeping up the "Alex faints at blood" gag works as physical humour.
Next we have Jay and Gloria trying to have their first moments of intimacy since the birth of Joe. Like Phil and Claire, it all goes wrong. Hearing Gloria say she was going to start without Jay really turned me on. Finally we have Mitch and Cam go a little wild after a night of heavy drinking- what they do to the cat is hilarious, with a brilliant song immortalizing it. With this episode, the writers have finally justified Larry's existence. Sure, this episode may have recycled some old themes- is Manny being set up for ridicule, and should we protect him? Is Mitchell too uptight? But generally Heart Broken is a fine, interesting experience.
